§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the findings of the Health and Safety Executive/Peto report Continuing Increase in Mesothelioma Mortality in Britain and its consequences for his Departments policy. [17075]
§ Mr. OppenheimThe report predicts that the number of deaths from mesothelioma in British men will continue to grow for at least 15, and more likely 25 years, reaching a peak of between 1,300 and 3,300 annual deaths. The most recent available annual total is for 1991 and was 861. Virtually all these deaths are associated with exposure to asbestos. The latent period between first exposure to asbestos and the development and diagnosis of mesothelioma is seldom less than 15 years and can be as long as 60 years. The deaths now occurring and most 53W of those expected to occur in the future reflect industrial conditions of the past rather than the effectiveness of current law and work practices. The report further showed that those employed in the building industry, such as plumbers, carpenters and electricians, account for about a quarter of all mesothelioma deaths to date. It concluded that workers in these trades may still be at risk from exposure to asbestos dust from materials put into buildings many years ago. The Health and Safety Executives current asbestos awareness campaign is specifically targeted at building maintenance workers. The findings of the report underline the need to maintain the UK's strict policy on asbestos, supported by the comprehensive regulatory controls already in place.
§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many deaths from asbestos-related diseases have occurred in each year since 1979. [17079]
§ Mr. OppenheimThe number of death certificates mentioning asbestosis or the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma were published in the Health and Safety Commissions statistical supplement to the 1993–94 annual report, a copy of which was placed in the Library.
Asbestos-related diseases also include lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Such cases cannot be distinguished medically from lung cancer due to other causes, principally smoking. Based on epidemiological evidence, there are likely to be one or two deaths from asbestos-related lung cancer for each death from mesothelioma.